Apparatus for exhibiting diverse articles



April 28, 1953 E. J. MARCHAND APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING DIVERSE ARTICLES 2 SHEETS SHEET 1 Filed Jan. 4, 1950 April 28, 1953 E. J. MARCHAND APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING DIVERSE'ARTICLES 2 SI-IEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR A ORNEY Filed Jan. 4, 1950 Patented Apr. 28, 1953 OFFICE APPARATUS FOR EXHIBITING- DIVERSE- ARTICLES Enrique Jacobo Marchand, Buenos- Aires, Argentina v Application January 4, 1950,.Serial No. 136,693 In Argentina. September .26, 1949 4 Claims. (01. 211-135) The present invention relates to an apparatus forlsuccessively exhibiting diverse articles from a relatively concealed storage area to an exhib'iting area, and has for its object the provislon of a plurality of slida'bly mounted articlesupporting members and a carrier sweeping over andf'beyond the zone of the article-supporting members to pick them up in individual succession and turn them about in exhibiting area so that they may be viewed by a prospective customer. I

Anotherobject is the provision of an apparatus ofthe type described providing a relatively simple and practical construction for carrying out article display.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 21s a partial vertical sectional elevation looking in the direction of the arrows 2-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of approximately one-half of the construction shown in Figure 2 but with the parts on the left hand side of Figure 2 in the position they appear at the right hand side thereof.

Figure 4 is a detail plan view partly in section of the optional latch means for preventing-undesired turning of an article being exhibited.

.Figuref5 is adetail vertical section of a portion of the chain and the article pick-up means, the hook of'the pick-up means being shown in its inoperative position by dotted lines and in its operative position in full lines.

Figure '6 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing an article supporting member in relation'to the pick-up means, the latter being shown disengaged from the cross head of the article supporting member.

Similar references designate corresponding parts inthe several figures.

.In the drawing, F denotes a box-like frame surmounting a lower cabinet portion, not shown. A motor I ismounted in the lower part of the frame and drives a speed reducing mechanism 2 which in, turn operates a hollow shaft 3 containing an upwardly extending carrier driving shaft 3a.

Atthis point it. may be noted that the frame F and its cabinet portion is preferably of semicircular s'hape in horizontal cross-section so that the 'arcuate rear portion may be conventionally termed a storage area and the diametrali side between the, corners A and B may be termed the exhibiting area.

The parts 3a of the shaft extending above the top wall 4 is rotatable in a bushing 5 and; its upper end has rigidly affixed thereto an arched bracket 6 from the opposite ends of whichare suspended a carrier C includin a pair of arms 1a. and 1bextending in opposite directions from the shaft for a total length substantially equaling the diameter of the arcuate: top wall ii. Theenlarged center portion C, of the carrier C is supported from below by a. series of roller bearings ,8 carried by the upper ends of posts to mounted. on a base plate which supports the bushing 5.

An endless chains is suitably guided around the arcuate wall of the frame or cabinet and also extends diametrically across the front of the top wall 4 due to the opposite sprockets I0 and I0 mounted on the underside of the said top wall for adjacent corners A and B.

A sprocket wheel ll rigid with the tubular shaft 3 and below top 4 has a, driving engagement with the substantially straight portion of the chain between the sprockets} I 0 and Ill. The chain 9 carries a plurality of. spaced pusher abutments [.2 which engage with. and propel article supporting. members 13, each. of which isprovided with a notch l3' on. its underside to freely .slide on the outer edge of a U-shaped track or rail [4 attached. to the semi-circular part of the frame.

Each of the article supporting members it which suspend the particular article to be exhibited carries a vertically disposed article suspending bar l5 whose lower end may be provided with any desired typeof supporting member; such as eye, hook or hanger. The article suspending bar l5 includes an upwardly projecting stemlfi provided with a, cross head I! adaptedto. be selectively engaged by pick-up and rotating means at theouter end of each arm 1a.. and 1b.. The pick-up means is constituted'by the bifurcated curved end [8 of a hook l9.

Theupper end of each. hookls is swingably mounted on a horizontal pivot 20 supported between thevertical legs 21 of aninve-rted U-shaped suspending bracket 2| a. A pair of coil springs 22 are fitted about the portionof. thespindlezll between each leg 2.! of, the bracket and the hook 1:9, and each spring terminates in a part pressing against the hooknormally to urge the same to an inoperative horizontal position shown dotted lines in Figure 5 and in operative position in full lines at the left hand side of Figure 3 and the right hands'ide of Figure 2.-

Each bracket Zla. is carried by a tubular sleeve 21a for rotation in a bushing 23. fixed 'inthe end of each arm It; lb. The upper end of each sleeve carries a bevel pinion 24 meshing with end of link 28 fulcrumed at 28a on the upper end a of standard 28b rising from an arm of the carrier C. The other end of link 28 is pivotally connected to one end of link 29 whose opposite end is also pivoted to horizontal bar 30 medially slotted to be guided by 30a on the armla, the end of link 30 opposite link 29 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the shank 3| of a T-shaped rocker 3| symmetrically fulcrumed at its midpoint of its head to a standard S mounted on its related arm la.

; The endsof the head of the T-shaped rocker are pivotally connected respectively to cam rods 32 and 33. The shank 3! of the T-shaped rocker'is connected to one end of the spring 35 whose other endis attached to cam rod 32 extending through hole 32a in arm la. The cam rod 32 is provided on its side facing the rocker, a notch 32 said notch being adapted to receive an edge of said hole when the cam rod 32 is depressed as shown in Figure 3. The cam rod 32 becomes disengaged from the edge of the hole when the lower end thereof engages cam 3'? as will later appear..

Cam rod 33 extendsthrough a bushing 33a and is encircled by spring 35 reacting against the bushing and urging the lower end of rod 33 equipped with roller 33 to a predetermined lower position with respect to top wall 4 carrying elevating ramp 3'1. The upper edge of this ramp is inclined upwardly for lifting cam 33 as arm To, for example, moves to rock 3! and cause rod 32 to be locked in its lower position.

The kick-out cam 31' is fixed to the top wall 4 onthe side of shaft 3 opposite ramp 31 andis curved on its side so as to shift cam red 32 laterally to one side to release notch 32' from the side of. the hole in the arm to cause spring 35" to restore the rod 32 to normal upper position.

The inner end of shaft 25 carries a pinion 38 meshing with pinion 33 fixed to a vertical shaft 40 having its lower end journaled in the carrier C. A planetary Geneva gear wheel 41, Figure 2, is splined to the lower end portion of shaft All and has a plurality of radial recesses, Figure 4, each adapted to receive a series of teeth 42 of a fragmentary gear 43 fixed to bushing by fasten ing 43a to turn wheel M and also impart motion to shafts 40 and 26', the sleeve 2%, and bracket 2la.

To hold the Geneva gear wheel 4! stationary when there are no teeth 42 on wheel 43 in engagement therewith, acam disk 44 and a detent member are provided. Said member is moved forward by spring 35a to cause tip of finger 45' to enter a tooth valley on the wheel, while tip of finger 45" rides on normal periphery of cam disk Said cam disk 44 has cam projections 46 and 41 whose outer periphery corresponds to the number of teeth' i2 on gear '33. Thus, when tip of finger 45" is on the dwell of projections 66 and 41, the latch end of finger 45 is disengaged from the valley .of the tooth of the Geneva wheel 4! so that the latter is free to turn under the influence of the teeth 42 on gear 43. I Therefore, cam disk 44 will keep the suspended article from turning or rotating, if not desired, while on display.

Operation Assuming that the carrier C is rotating in the direction of the arrows in Figure'l, it will be seen that the arms 1a and 7b thereof each carrying pick-up means for the article suspending members sweep successively over the arcuate track l4 and across the exhibiting area.

When the arm member la is turning in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1 and article supporting member l3 has been picked up by its related hook 13 the said article supporting member 53 will be free from the track (4 and convey the article suspending member and the article itself from point A toward point B and eventually replace the pick-up carrier member back on the track [4.

As previously explained, Figure 3 is the enlarged View of the parts shown at the right hand side of Figure 2 where the hook l9 has engaged the cross-head H of an article supporting member. This action takes place by reason of the fact that cam rod 33 has moved to the top of ramp 3? thereby to be elevated and rocking T-. shaped lever 3i counter-clockwise, moving linkage 33, 20, 28, to depress plunger 21 to cause hook I9 to engage cross-head i8 as member l3is about to leave the chain. As end a: of arm in leaves corner or pointA, the article supporting member [3 is rotated because hook i9 is mounted on spindle 20 of bracket 21 which is integral with sleeve 23 and turned by gears 2425 to enable the article moving between points A and B to have all sides exhibited to a viewer. During this period the chain 9 moves diametrically and has no effect on the member l3 which is carrying the exhibited article. When the end :c of arm I approaches corner or point B to end the exhibition period it puts the member l3 back on track l4 substantially at said point B and the moving chain B'has one of its pusher elements 12 engage the said member l3 and begins to push it along the track.

Shortly after the article supporting member 13, which has completed its exhibition cycle, is on the track I l and the arm 1c continues to turn, and the hook I3 is released from cross-head .11. This occurs when arm lavpasses over the kick-out cam 31' and pushes the lower end of cam rod 32 to one side and thus disengages notch 32' from the edge of hole 1 and permits spring 35" to release its energy to push cam rod 33 down, move T- shaped lever 3i clockwise and cause linkage 30, 29, 23, to lift plunger 2'? and enable hook, [9 to return to its horizontal position, shown in full lines in Figures 2 and 6 and dotted lines in Figure 5, under the influence of its springs 22, Figure 6. Therefore, the member 13 which has completed its exhibition cycle is then pushed along the track H! by its related pusher i2. lWeanwhile arm lb moving in advance of arm 's'a, upon approaching point A has itsrelated hook 19 made ready to pick up another member I3 due to ramp 3i actuating the linkage and plunger. oi theccrresponding hook. f

When the arms la and 7b turn continuously as the motor operates the. related hook H3 at the outer end will continue. to pick up arelated memher it at point A and carry it on its exhibition cycle and then return it to the track at point B.

I claim: v I 1 1A display apparatus, including, a cabinete, like support having a top'wall, an arcuate wall,

a substantially diametrically disposed wall, a track supported on and conforming to said arcuate wall and terminating at the junction therewith of said diametrically disposed Wall, a chain mounted to follow a path conforming to said track and said diametrically disposed Wall, a carrier having opposite diametrically disposed arms, a motor driven shaft supporting the carrier, means on the shaft for driving the chain and carrier simultaneously, a plurality of article supports slidable on the track, impeller elements on the chain at spaced intervals for pushing the article supports along the track, pick-up means carried by the end of each arm for selectively engaging article support and removing it from the track whereby it may be displayed in front of said diametrically disposed Wall, ramp actuated link and lever means for rendering said pick-up means operative and inoperative, and shaft and gear means for rotating said article support while suspended from said pick-up means.

2. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the article supports include a crosshead and the pick-up means includes a hook normally spring biased to inoperative position and actuated to engage the cross-head by said ramp actuated link and lever means.

3. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the article supports include a crosshead and the pick-up means includes a hook spring biased to normally disengaged position relative to the cross-head, a rotatable bracket carrying the hook and actuated by said shaft and gear means, and a plunger rod for forcing the hook to engage the cross-head actuated by said ramp actuated link and lever means.

4. A display apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, the pick-up means includes a hook spring urged in one direction, and said ramp actuated link and lever means includes a plunger rod for forcing the hook in position to engage a related portion on an article support, a horizontally pivoted link engaging the upper end of said rod, a T-shaped rocker mounted on an arm of the carrier, other link means connecting the lower end of the shank of the rocker with the end of said horizontally pivoted link opposite the plunger, cam rods pivotally suspended from the outer ends of the head of the T-shapecl rocker and projecting through openings in a related arm toward the said top wall, one of said rods having a lateral notch and the other of said rods being spring depressed, a spring connecting the shank of the T-shaped rocker and the rod having the notch to pull the rod in position to cause said notch to engage with the side of the hole,

an elevating ramp on the top wall to elevate the spring depressed rod and automatically cause the notch in the other rod to engage the side of the hole, and a kick-out cam on the top wall at the side of the shaft opposite the elevating ramp to shift the rod with the notch out of engagement with said hole.

ENRIQUE JACOBO MARCHAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 729,642 Nash June 2, 1903 928,980 Kaufman et al July 27, 1909 1,049,133 Murphy Dec. 31, 1912 1,208,457 Bellviile Dec. 12, 1916 1,611,155 Bisaillon Dec. 21, 1926 1,656,527 Messinger et a1. Jan. 17, 1928 1,717,246 Perling June 11, 1929 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 18,015 Great Britain Oct. 21, 1891 

